Taylor Swift graces Harper’s Bazaar’s December/January cover, and in the interview, she opens up about dating, relationships, her career, and more.

The hitmaker is as known for her girlish dresses as for her number-one songs. But, as she has proved, you don’t need to wear trousers to have power.

On wearing dresses: “I’m in a predicament where I can’t wear a dress twice or else it’s pointed out in magazines,” she says. “So unfortunately I have to shop for dresses all the time.” “There’s just something so feminine about a dress,” she says. “Whether it’s a summertime dress that makes me feel carefree, an evening cocktail dress that makes me feel fancy or a vintage dress that makes me feel like a ’50s housewife — which I enjoy feeling like, for some reason — I just really like dresses.”

On dating: “It needs to be equal. If I feel too much like I’m wearing the pants, I start to feel uncomfortable and then we break up.” Relationships are “the ultimate collaboration,” she adds, but sometimes “it’s wonderful to hand over the reins to your boyfriend when you control so much of these big, high-pressure decisions, you know? That is a huge defining factor in who you choose to be with.”

On relationships as a source of inspiration for her music: “Some combinations of people are toxic, you know? You have to find the right one that isn’t just going to explode into fiery ash and destruction.” “Despite all of that and how unpleasant it is, as a writer you get a lot from it. It’s a crazy justification system. You know that guy you really wish you could erase from your memory? But then the answer is track six, eight, 12, and 13.”

On being friends with celebrities including Emma Stone and Selena Gomez: “We never talk about fashion, about career, about our ambitions or our projects,” she says of her pals. “We just talk about relationships, feelings, love, and boys.”